Last Monday and Tuesday we held an online adoption auction with the hopes of raising at least $1,000 to add to our adoption fund. If you have read any of the previous posts, you will know that our lives have been a whirlwind of beauty and excitement, mixed with anxiety and wondering if we could come up with a large sum of funds to pay for this stork drop adoption. One way we pulled some quick funds together was by holding this online adoption auction; one of Instagram and one on Facebook. We first started pulling together vendors and baskets the first week of January, planning to do the auction early to mid February. WELL! Am I glad we started getting to work on the auction early, because our son was born January 6th and we needed funds fast!

Our vendors were so completely generous and did everything they could to help this auction be successful. They each were more than generous and we would not have raised any dime of this money without them. Be sure to check out each and every shop/vendor and make them a new favorite. Not only are their items adorable, creative, beautiful, and straight up awesome, but the people behind the shops and businesses are some of the most generous and well-meaning people. Friends. True friendships have been birthed, dear ones.

Here were our outstanding Facebook auction items & vendors:

1. A night out with Gregory and the Oregon Symphony. Two tickets to Gregory Alan Isakov with the Oregon Symphony. Seats are Middle Orchestra Side D R11 and R12; Retail Value: $80

2. $100 off your next stay at Columbia Cliff Villas. Good for any Sunday-Thursday stay. We stayed here about a year ago. Such an amazing place. Absolutely fantastic. Great place for a getaway in Hood Riverhttp://www.columbiacliffvillas.com/

5. Homemade Jambalaya with rice, salad and bread rolls. Will feed 6-8 easy. Its dairy free, lots of meats and veggies and tomato sauce base. Her bread is a simple white roll recipe. Located: anywhere in Lebanon or Albany. Made by Alexandria Smith

6. Two Private Swim Lessons. Location: Athletic Club of Bend, OR. Description: 30 minutes each lesson for any age/swim level (must be at least 6 months). Retail Value: $60 About the Instructor: Amanda Wolf is a Certified Swim Instructor at the Athletic Club of Bend her email is swimminginbend@gmail.com. Whoever needs will schedule the lessons with her in advance, but she is very flexible is she has enough warning. The pool at the athletic club is 92 degrees and perfect for babies/young kids. No one will get cold feet around these parts! Amanda stresses fun while teaching water safety.

11. Newborn Bonnet. This bonnet is perfect for going home, newborn photography pictures or everyday wear. This newborn bonnet is especially made to fit newborns 0-1 month. Made to fit true newborn size. This bonnet will be gray. This bonnet is made when ordered. It will be shipped in 2-3 weeks. Retail Value: $19. Will be shipped by Rebekah Soriano, Shop Owner. Photo By: Dulce Baby Studio
Contact info: www.facebook.com/bekscreations
IG handle is Bek_Soriano
Shop is www.beksoriano.etsy.com

14. One Full Photography Session by Samantha Short Photography; Located in Lebanon, OR
Retail Value: Newborn/Graduate $350 OR Children/Family $250
Website: www.samanthashortphotography.com
IG Handle: @samanthashortphotograph

We had two people who really wanted this package. Someone bid right at the 10 pm mark, closing off the bidding, and we received a message from the other bidder who really wanted this package. He asked if we would maybe see if Sam would offer a second package if they matched the winning bid: she said yes! She donated not one, but two full photography sessions!

3. Six months of Be Spoken Coffee Roasters! A pound/bag of coffee will be sent to winner the first Thursday of every month. Retail Value: $140; IG Handle: @bespokencoffeeroasters Website: www.bespokencoffeeroasters.com/shop

Holly from HazelandHolly donated 50% of her entire profit to our adoption fund on Thursday! She also has been the dearest friend; she has a little one from AZ they are in the process of adopting. Her shop was created to help fund their Ethiopian adoption as well. Holly sent Loren and I a Starbucks gift card Friday because she knows that adoption, though beautiful and lovely, is also very messy and hard.

Be sure to check out each of these vendors/shops/businesses. Show them some love after all the unbelievable generosity they have shown us! We would not have made a dime with out them.

Welcome to my small corner of the world! This is the sacred space I pour my heart out into words, written for you to hopefully inch a bit towards fullness.

I'm wife to an ex-pastor, mama to two boys not quite 5 months apart, and I write a lot about: Jesus and justice, adoption, and the sanctifying mess of motherhood.

I'm the best-selling author of This Undeserved Life, which is the story of me surrendering my sorrow by grabbing ahold of it.

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I am continually wrecked by scandalous grace. This is the space where I vulnerably share with the world my journey of learning to love well, even at the expense of myself.